Berger is a bigger kid than McVey, but what I was trying to poorly get to there is that Berger is a better athlete than Ryan. He is quicker, faster and has similar read-react skills. He is a very nice looking player, almost certainly SAM-type.

IMO Berger is 2014's Billy Price. Great prospect at a position of need that everyone is going to forget about because of higher rated prospects. When push comes to shove, I think Berger and Price are the kind of kids that end up being 2-3 year starters.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Allen is very highly regarded, but I just don't see it... particularly for this system. With Barrett on the roster, I think they could afford to take a flyer on a less polished, better athlete at QB.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Three offers out, first to commit is the QB for the class. You have Allen in Arizona that is the highest rated and a pro-style top 100 recruit kid.

You have Harris down in Louisiana who was an under the radar kid with insane tools that just exploded onto the scene and will end up highly rated. Much more of the spread QB mold and houses a cannon like Braxton.

Then you have Darlington down in Florida who is pretty damn athletic but not so much so as Harris.

Whoever takes the bait will be the only QB this year unless the kid they love down in Georgia decides to flip after his hero Chad Morris inevitably leaves Clemson after this year to be a HC.

I think I like Darlington the best, but I think Harris might have the highest ceiling. They way the staff seems to love Barrett ('13 QB), who is likely to RS this year, they can take a flyer on the higher risk, higher ceiling kid.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

It looked like there was a clear pecking order for lots of players that they were chasing and they have missed on some and shifted towards others for one reason or another.

I really thought that OSU would land an elite SE this year and it looks like they will probably get Derek Kief, but I really thought they would land one of the top 2-3 guys. Kief is a good prospect, but he is not Drake Harris (scUM commit) or Trevion Thompson.

I thought the LB pecking order was pretty clear. 1. MacMillan 2. Garrett 3. Booker and it looked like all 3 were likely to be Buckeyes. Here we are three months later and that is clearly not the pecking order and Garrett will certainly not be a Buckeye. For one reason or another the staff kind of slowed down on Garrett, whether they were getting signals that they were falling out of favor, or the staff just moved up other players is debatable. Clearly, Kyle Berger shot up the list (a guy that seemed unlikely to get an offer in February) and Chase Winovich is also more likely to be a Buckeye than not. Again, Winovich is a guy that hadn't even heard of in February, but he is a guy (like Berger) that the staff COVETS.

Raise your hand if you thought in February that Sam Hubbard would be a Buckeye in this schollie reduced class? That's what I thought. It is still unclear what position the athlete (listed at 6'6" but more likely 6'4-6'5) will play. I have heard everything from STAR to WDE/LEO but I think he is likely a LB. So that makes 3 (Berger, Winovich, Hubbard) with Raekwon MacMillan still listing OSU as his leader (you don't tell MacMillan you are full either), so where does that put the Bucks with Dante Booker (whom OSU also leads)? My guess is that he is still in this class. I think Meyer takes them all and lets God sort it out.

QB recruiting has been an absolute saga. the Bucks put all their eggs in the Deshuan Watson basket and recently came to the conclusion that they are unlikely to flip him. Now they have given committable offers to Darlington, Harris and Allen; skipping over players that many thought they would offer first like Henderson and Barker.

1.) Allen is the highest rated, most polished passes of the bunch, but he is also the least athletic. He is not the traditional match for what we have grown to expect at OSU (Pryor, Smith, Barrett and Miller). That said he shredded the competition at 2 MAJOR camps this weekend drawing a lot of superlatives from evaluators about his passing abilities and flawless motion. I love having a QB that can make things happen with his feet, but how nice would it be to not have to teach one how to throw a screen pass or slant? Allen may be the best pocket passer in the last couple of classes.

2.) Harris is a project. He is the best athlete of the bunch, and my opinion is that the comfort the Buckeyes have in Jones and Barrett gives them the freedom to offer the kid who would be a bit of a project. Don't get me wrong, he is highly rated, but he is not quite as game ready as Miller or even Pryor. He is the kind of kid that MUST have a year on the bench.

3.) Darlington is somewhere in the middle. I think he is a lower ceiling, better developed version of Harris.

I was opposed to the Kyle Allen offer at first because he is not a great match for a read option offense, but now that I think about it, if we surround him with playmakers then that shouldn't matter. He is a guy that will make the entire field (deep out to inside slant) vulnerable.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

I was thinking about the WR recruiting and to be honest, I think Meyer is going to have to show that throwing the ball outside and down the field is a priority in his offense if OSU is going to be a factor in big-time split end WR recruiting. 2013 is going to be critical to OSU landing major WR outside WR recruits in 2014 and particularly in 2015. Hopefully, Miller has improved and can consistently make those throws now.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Meyer has made it very clear he'll be taking a QB every year. He opperated the same way last year.

And with Barrett still rehabing he needs to this year. Hell I could see an argument for taking two QBs this year but he won't.

Furls, I've also seen that Hubbard could very well end up being the TE in this class. As to Booker, Givler swears up and down that he is not a true LB in college and will be a Leo. So that fixes the number problem if true.

Oh and as too going hard after Allen (who I don't think they'll get regardless), this is why you sign EZ-E, Marshall and Wilson all in the same class. So you can operate the spread with a pocket QB if need be. And truthfully Allen is probably every bit as athletic as Alex Smith was.

Also, I shouldn't say OSU won't take two QBs. Once Chad Morris leaves Clemson after next season for a HC job if that job isn't at a school that appeals to Deshaun Watson he'll be a Buckeye and he'll bring Kitt with him.

Looks like the athlete/slot guys in this class will be Curtis Samuel and Corey Avery, not Mile Autry who everyone had as an OSU lock a few months ago. Givler says Autry is getting a lot of pressure from his family to stay in the south and that Georgia Tech has used him having his ACL surgery there hugely to their advantage.

Lonnie Johnson commits to OSU today. He is the kind of SE I wanted, now lets see if he actually qualifies.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Crazy run and jump athlete that has issues with letting the ball get into his body on the easy catches and is still raw from a route running perspective. His HS coach actually was quoted yesterday saying he thinks his future is as a freak corner.

Kids raw, fast and jumps through the roof so he has tools, we'll see if Meyer and co can develop them.

Someone posted these as the results from his track meet last weekened:

Hopefully the 6'2-6'3 is real. My general rule of thumb is subtract 2" from every player unless it is from a wide/national level combine. Not sure where Johnson's come from. I am still excited about the kid. We need some size at WR.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

In a semi related topic, did you see that Zeke Elliot just posted a 13.77s 110M hurdles? That is pretty damn ridiculous for a 200-210lb kid. FWIW, that would have won the 110M in OH last year at OHSAA state championships for D1.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

oops, just checked that... it would've been second. Guy who won last year ran a 13.66. No other runner was below 14.00 secs.

OHSAA record is 13.30 by Nelloms. Ginn ran 13.40 and was considered one of the very best hurdlers in the nation in 2004.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

It looked like there was a clear pecking order for lots of players that they were chasing and they have missed on some and shifted towards others for one reason or another.

I really thought that OSU would land an elite SE this year and it looks like they will probably get Derek Kief, but I really thought they would land one of the top 2-3 guys. Kief is a good prospect, but he is not Drake Harris (scUM commit) or Trevion Thompson.

I thought the LB pecking order was pretty clear. 1. MacMillan 2. Garrett 3. Booker and it looked like all 3 were likely to be Buckeyes. Here we are three months later and that is clearly not the pecking order and Garrett will certainly not be a Buckeye. For one reason or another the staff kind of slowed down on Garrett, whether they were getting signals that they were falling out of favor, or the staff just moved up other players is debatable. Clearly, Kyle Berger shot up the list (a guy that seemed unlikely to get an offer in February) and Chase Winovich is also more likely to be a Buckeye than not. Again, Winovich is a guy that hadn't even heard of in February, but he is a guy (like Berger) that the staff COVETS.

Raise your hand if you thought in February that Sam Hubbard would be a Buckeye in this schollie reduced class? That's what I thought. It is still unclear what position the athlete (listed at 6'6" but more likely 6'4-6'5) will play. I have heard everything from STAR to WDE/LEO but I think he is likely a LB. So that makes 3 (Berger, Winovich, Hubbard) with Raekwon MacMillan still listing OSU as his leader (you don't tell MacMillan you are full either), so where does that put the Bucks with Dante Booker (whom OSU also leads)? My guess is that he is still in this class. I think Meyer takes them all and lets God sort it out.

QB recruiting has been an absolute saga. the Bucks put all their eggs in the Deshuan Watson basket and recently came to the conclusion that they are unlikely to flip him. Now they have given committable offers to Darlington, Harris and Allen; skipping over players that many thought they would offer first like Henderson and Barker.

1.) Allen is the highest rated, most polished passes of the bunch, but he is also the least athletic. He is not the traditional match for what we have grown to expect at OSU (Pryor, Smith, Barrett and Miller). That said he shredded the competition at 2 MAJOR camps this weekend drawing a lot of superlatives from evaluators about his passing abilities and flawless motion. I love having a QB that can make things happen with his feet, but how nice would it be to not have to teach one how to throw a screen pass or slant? Allen may be the best pocket passer in the last couple of classes.

2.) Harris is a project. He is the best athlete of the bunch, and my opinion is that the comfort the Buckeyes have in Jones and Barrett gives them the freedom to offer the kid who would be a bit of a project. Don't get me wrong, he is highly rated, but he is not quite as game ready as Miller or even Pryor. He is the kind of kid that MUST have a year on the bench.

3.) Darlington is somewhere in the middle. I think he is a lower ceiling, better developed version of Harris.

I was opposed to the Kyle Allen offer at first because he is not a great match for a read option offense, but now that I think about it, if we surround him with playmakers then that shouldn't matter. He is a guy that will make the entire field (deep out to inside slant) vulnerable.

Also, the Kitt video does include what I had guessed it included. Same line he's been spitting about having spent enough time at OSU (five days should be enough), needing to visit Clemson so his dad can see it, visiting Auburn, visiting Ole Miss and deciding 6/10. Says he hasn't decided but if he were forced to right now he could.

Also, the Kitt video does include what I had guessed it included. Same line he's been spitting about having spent enough time at OSU (five days should be enough), needing to visit Clemson so his dad can see it, visiting Auburn, visiting Ole Miss and deciding 6/10. Says he hasn't decided but if he were forced to right now he could.

Translation is that the brown envelopes have begun to arrive to dad but he'd be open to a bigger brown envelope (lots of 2nd tier SEC schools listed)

I am telling you, something is going on at Ole' Miss. Everyone has known that Clemson and Auburn have been dirty for a long time, Ole' Miss on the other hand, someone is writing some big checks now in Oxford. All you have to do is look at their 2013 class to see it. No way Ole' Miss is getting five 5* recruits otherwise.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

FWIW: Givler didn't mention Ole Miss or Auburn as having a snowballs chance in hell at landing Kitt. They aren't even really in the battle. Auburn is playing the "grandma lives here" card and Ole Miss is playing the "we're hot now come see us" card.

He won't end up at either. Tenn is going to come in third behind the winner of OSU/Clemson.

I think the only way that Kitt ends up at Ole Miss or Auburn is if they pull out a big bag of cash and create a surprise. That never happens.... (Jordan Diamond).

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

I'm going to have to see more of Booker before I buy in. Nothing (except perhaps his size) jumps off the highlight videos I've seen to convince me he's a special kind of football player. Not second-guessing the OSU staff, because all I've seen is a few minutes of video...just sayin'.

"I believe it is the nature of the human species to reject what is true but unpleasant and to embrace what is obviously false but comforting." H.L. Mencken

Booker has all the measurables, but he doesn't seem like the natural football player that Winovich or Berger are. I know Booker is more likely to play LEO, but I just don't see an instinctual football player. Hope I am wrong, but to me he feels like one of those kids that we want just because everyone says we should be excited about him.

I am just not sure that I see an OSU level WDE and with Kwon, Berger and Winovich likely to be in the class, I am just not sure what to do with him.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Looks like Winovich will be going elsewhere, likely Pitt or scUM. Lots of LBs already in the class, so I will not be crying in my beer, but Winovich looked like he was going to be a pretty good one.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

I never got the Winovich offer with Berger in the fold already and having a similar but better skill-set. Then you factor in Hubbard's flexibility and the off chance Booker learns to play LB (doubtful though, just seems really, really LEO, although I felt similar about Josh Perry) and meh.

There is one can't miss LB target in this class and his name is Raekwon.

He also is the biggest recruit in this class, so yeah. They lose him to the south and then people can jump.

Second most important recruit, Jamarco Jones will be announcing this month, btw.

UM is once again winning their May recruiting title, although this time they did it by beating Urban out on three players head to head, Drake Harris, Peppers (#2 player in the country) and now Winovich. First time there has actually been some bite to a Michigan May title. Urban has some ground to make up, so let's go....

That said in June of last year no one knew Vonn Bell would even consider leaving the south, no one even thought Mike Mitchell would leave Texas and Dontre Wilson was going to Oregon....

Count me among the group that thinks that scUM's 2012 and 2013 classes were wildly overrated. That said, their 2014 class thus far is shaping up VERY well. Any comment to the contrary is just bullshit (not that I claiming that Lee is insinuating it is a bad class). They have some very good prospects on board this year and if they are able to pry Hand away from VaTech, it is a top 2-3 class.

I couldn't agree more on Raekwon. He is the best LB in the class, and IMO it really isn't all that close. I will say that I like Garrett's athleticism, but he is not going to be the pounder from Day 1 that McMillan will be.

Meyer will close well and OSU will have an excellent class, but I believe for the first time in about a decade scUM will have an excellent class too. Which class will be the most excellent? We won't know that until 2018.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Dylan Thompson earns an Opening invite today. I think we stole one here. He is one of the better players that no one is talking about. Kid looks like he could suit up this fall and compete for a 2 deep SSDE/3Tech spot. Great looking player.

The only one that makes me scratch my head a little bit is Hubbard. The staff loves him, he strikes me as one of those tweener players that has a lot of attributes to get on the field, but the kind of guy that I doubt is ever an every down contributor. I just can't even guess what position he will end up playing, WDE/LEO? Do you really want his first snaps in the front 7 to be at OSU? I don't know. I guess we shall see.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Possibly. Kid has all the tools, just no reps. He seems an awful lot like a project to me.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Yeah, I was kind of thinking the same thing after watching Allen go to aTm today. Let's take quick stock of where we are with 2014 QBs:

-Went all in Deshaun Watson. He is staying firm with Clemson and has some buddies coming along too (Kitt), Not gonna flip.-Passed on Barker and Henderson to offer the next wave: Harris, Allen and Darlington-Allen commits to aTm.-Harris is going to be bitch to pry out of the South, particularly past the home school (LSU).-Darlington looks like he is trending toward Nebraska.

So I think that puts us on about Plan E with the staff now putting together their C List QBs.

I am really glad they got Barrett last year and I am grateful that he is likely to RS. Now lets say somehow Brax Blows up this year and becomes an RGIII and scoots off to the NFL. That would leave us 2 scholarship QBs; Jones and Barrett for 2014. We really need a guy this year.

Slow playing Barker may have been a mistake. He is a good player.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

e0y2e3 wrote:They didn't slow play Barker, they just flat didn't want him. They saw him play and throw more than any other QB in the country and never offered, that says a lot.

The slow play they blew was Allen, who camped last year and had the same arm then he has today. Had they offered when they offered Heard and Watson he'd probably be a Buckeye.

And Darlington can't commit today, it looks like him and Kizer are going to be a toss-up for you plan C guys.

I'm not arguing on how good of a player Barker is btw, just saying that they evaluated him 1,000 and passed. The true slow play QB prospect they liked was Allen.

247 says Darlington's offer is committable, I really don't care. I know they have seen Barker 1000X, but I just got the impression that the staff thought they could wait longer on him. I am not sure that they will regret not offering him, I doubt he would play at OSU behind guys like Barrett and whoever they would get in 2015, but the thought of where we may have to reach to put a 2014 QB in this class is shocking.

I think Allen was just a case of a guy that didn't really match the system. Meyer wants guys that can run a little more than Allen.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Yeah, I don't care on Darlington either, but he is coming to a camp and you would think a kid like him would have already tried to commit is he really had an OSU offer.

Either way him and Kizer are where they are going to end up, which is gross.

Just in case guy or not, they offered Allen third and supposedly he's more mobile than we realize. End of the day their third option was a miss because they gambled hard on their first option. Nothing changed with Allen from camp in 2012 to today (just like nothing changed during any of the 1,000x they watched Barker).

Brandon Harris supposedly looked really good at the camp in Columbus this week.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

e0y2e3 wrote:Yeah, I like Harris a lot and it seems the staff does as well (and at as much as Allen).

I just don't see any way he ends up coming north.

Here's to hoping for another Vonn Bell miracle.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

I remember reading about Powell's pre OSU, 5:30AM (before school) workouts flipping tires and all kinds of craziness. The 2* recruit's work ethic stuck with me and I remember thinking that if he actually works like this at OSU he might rise past the 4* guys and work his way on the field.

I think it is far from over, but for now he is a starter. Whether or not it sticks, that is another question, but I am sure that he will end up playing some at some point. I am rooting for him, but with the guys Meyer is bringing in, it is going to be tough. Bell, Burrows, Thompson, Lee and Bogard are going to be stiff competition next year for 2014.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.